Ryan was really between a rock and a hard place.
It felt as though he were being roasted alive, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The thought of actually hitting Jaxon never crossed his mind until now—but could he really leave things alone? Earlier today, he and Lila had just made their relationship official. Seeing her, radiant and seductive, about to throw herself into his arms, Ryan felt that if he chickened out now, all his efforts would be for nothing. In the end, carnal desire won over reason.
"Fuck you, you bastard," Ryan snarled, rolling up his sleeves and lunging at Jaxon. "Just so you know, Jaxon Langston, my father funds the Lila family! If you mess with my girlfriend, I'll beat you to death!"
With that, he threw himself on Jaxon in a flurry of punches and kicks. After several relentless blows, Ryan was panting heavily, sweat dripping from his face.
"Wow, baby, you're incredible!" Lila cooed in satisfaction. She produced a tissue and gently wiped the sweat from Ryan's brow.
The bar fell utterly silent; everyone's attention was fixed on Lila and Ryan, as if they were the stars of the show. Flushed with adrenaline and basking in the crowd's admiration, Ryan swaggered around, arrogantly declaring, "Whoever so much as lays a finger on my girlfriend again will end up like this!"
With that, he scooped Lila into his arms and strode away.
Jace and Indie didn't say a word. After all, it wasn't their fight. Although they thought Lila's actions went a bit far, Indie was well aware of her friend's personality. This sort of drama was simply Lila's style.
Grayson, for his part, watched everything with a neutral expression. He wouldn't intervene any further. In his mind, he'd already done Lila a favor once and more than paid any debts. He wasn't about to step in again. Let her and Ryan put on their display; if anything else went south, it wouldn't be his responsibility.
When the group finally left the bar, Jaxon—still gasping for breath from Ryan's beating—stood rooted to the spot, shamefaced and wordless. But anger blazed in his eyes. Jaxon was no saint; even if no one provoked him, he'd happily torment others. Being humiliated by Lila and Ryan in public had ignited a fury that threatened to burst him apart. Even the most passive lump of clay has a breaking point—let alone a spoiled rich kid like Jaxon. No matter how influential his family was, he'd regret this. He would.
Meanwhile, Grayson and the others piled into a seven-seater ride-share vehicle. Grayson slid into the passenger seat up front. Indie snuggled against Jace in the back, while Lila and Walker sat together, whispering. To be honest, even before the door closed, the driver's gaze toward Grayson was a mix of sympathy and puzzlement, as if to say, "Buddy, what are you doing, tagging along with two couples? Being a third wheel isn't enough—you insist on being two?"
Grayson didn't care. He shrugged and let the door click shut.
"Baby, you were amazing back there!" Lila gushed, still riding the high from her triumph at the bar. A flush lingered on her cheeks. "Having money and power feels so good!"
Though Lila's family was wealthy, she'd never experienced the thrill of swaggering around with the kind of capital that allowed you to humiliate anyone at will.
"That's why you need to date someone from a prestigious family," Lila continued, tone dripping with condescension. "What's the point of picking a guy with no money or connections? Some people really need to know their place—if you can't handle having a girlfriend, shut up and go watch porn by yourself."
Her words were definitely aimed at Grayson.
"Alright, Lila, that's enough," Indie said, always the more sensitive one. "Jaxon went too far today, sure, but that beating was a bit overboard. I saw the look in his eyes—he's deadly serious. You need to be on your guard."
Lila laughed. "Haha, Indie, you're such a worrywart. Watch out for Jace getting jealous!" Then she turned to Ryan and smirked. "But don't worry, Ryan is here to protect me, right, honey?"
"Uh…yeah," Ryan replied awkwardly, brow furrowing with sudden unease. The rush of hot-blooded courage he'd felt in the bar was already fading, leaving a knot of dread in his stomach.
"See?" Lila crowed triumphantly. "I told you—you should date someone who can defend you. If you mess around with a nobody—"
Before she could finish, Indie interrupted: "Look, check out those houses outside—aren't they beautiful?"
Indie glanced out the window just as a row of villas appeared: sweeping, elegant designs surrounded by lush greenery. The other passengers' attention snapped to the passing scenery.
"They're gorgeous," Jace remarked, awe in his voice. "Whoever lives there must be filthy rich. My family might have money, but there's no way we could ever afford something like that."
"I know, right?" Lila chimed in, pride glinting in her eyes. "This is the upscale villa district!" She sat up straighter. "My Aunt Mei bought one of those houses here."
"Seriously? Those places cost a fortune!" Indie and Jace exchanged astonished looks. "Even one of the smallest villas probably goes for millions. Your aunt must be loaded."
"Of course," Lila said, puffing her chest out. "My uncle has plenty of money. They told me the villas are priced in tiers: the closer to the center, the more expensive; the farther out, the cheaper. Especially that mansion dead center—rumor has it it was worth thirty million dollars and still hasn't sold."
At that moment, the ride-share driver—a middle-aged man with a calm, slightly bemused expression—cleared his throat and drawled, "Young lady, your information is outdated. The mansion at the center sold weeks ago. And not for thirty million, but for forty million dollars."
"Wow, really?" Indie exclaimed, eyes wide. "Forty million dollars?"
Everyone reacted with shock as the driver's words sank in. Forty million—as if they could ever comprehend a number that big.
"Is that for real? How do you know?" Lila asked, leaning forward eagerly.
"Heh," the driver chuckled. "We cab drivers hear everything. Word got around the real estate circles a while ago."
"Do you know who bought it?" Lila pressed, curiosity ignited. Indie leaned in, too, hanging on every word.
Grayson had been leaning back against the window, eyes closed, catching a moment's rest. He wasn't paying attention to Lila's chatter—none of it concerned him. Yet when Lila posed her question about who'd bought the forty-million-dollar villa, his ears perked up. Without thinking, he shifted slightly—and his elbow bumped the power switch on the passenger-side window.
Holy shit.
The window began to slide down.
"Everything okay, son?" the driver asked, glancing in the rearview mirror. He must have thought Grayson was motion-sick, trying to let in some fresh air.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Grayson said quickly, swiping at the switch to raise the window again.
"Grayson, are you trying to ruin my moment?" Lila shot him a glare of pure contempt. "You heard me talking to the driver, and you deliberately hit that switch, right? You can't just sit and blend into the scenery—you always have to mess with something. What's the matter, jealous that we're talking about houses you could never afford? If you don't like this conversation, get out of the car! You're nothing but a poor loser, jealous of rich people!"
"Settle down, Lila," Indie said, giving Lila a warning look. Then he turned to the driver. "Sir, really—who ended up buying that villa?"
"Well, this buyer is pretty mysterious," the driver replied, eyes twinkling with a secret. "Not just anyone can buy something like that."
"I was hoping you'd have some insider info," Lila pouted, disappointed. "Turns out even cab drivers don't know everything."
She sighed dramatically. "I really want to know who spent forty million dollars on a house."
The driver leaned forward slightly, his voice dipping conspiratorially. "Young lady, don't lose heart. I actually have his photo on my phone."